The Other Element

The question where do I go keeps repeating in my mind. I decide to head to the nurse's office, where else could I go? I keep my hoof in my jacket pocket and even grab it with my left hand. It feels strange but somehow natural.

"Hey! Nathan, what are you doing?" Sam shouts from behind. He must've gotten up after me. I don't turn to answer him, I just keep walking faster down the hallway. "Hey... Hey!!" he keeps shouting after me.

The word "hey" echoes in the hallway and in my head. My feet go completely cold and suddenly it becomes harder to walk. My other hand goes numb as I try walking faster. I turn left into an adjacent hallway heading towards the cafeteria. This isn't the way to the nurse's office but I had to get away from Sam. The feelings in my limbs begin to climb up my torso and my shoes begin to feel weird and uncomfortable. I almost break into a run as I start to panic and one of my shoes slips off, soon followed by the other one. I don't look down but I hear a strange clip-clop sound coming from my feet as I run. The sound echoes off the walls.

I turn around to see Sam still following me. I feel the hairs on the back of my neck start itching again and I put my left hand, or at least what I thought, what I hoped was still my left hand to check. I feel only the flat surface of a hoof brushing the mane-like hairs on my back. I pull back my hand as I turn around, still running/two-legged trotting. A look of sheer horror spreads over my face to see that my my left hand is a hoof too. I almost stumble in surprise and something happens. I begin running on all fours. I'm now galloping down the corridor on four hooves terrified of what's happened to me, running from my best friend.

The sensation's now spread to my entire body. My clothes feel different, everything feels different. I pass the cafeteria and turn another corner. I don't know if Sam's still behind me, I go to the only place I think I can hide, some place nopony, err, no one would think to look: the girl's bathroom. I pull the door open with my hoof and enter quickly letting the door close behind me.

It's empty, thank Celestia. I mean, thank heavens. Or whatever... too tired to think. I catch my breath. It's quiet now and I slowly walk inside, taking in my new form, trying to relax, trying to think, don't know what to do next. I turn to the sinks, carefully I move over to one hearing the sound of my hooves on the tiles. Carefully, I turn the nobs of one of the faucets with my hoof and try to spash water on my face but all I wind up doing is getting my hooves dripping wet.

The mirror above the seat in front of me is foggy and I can't make out my reflection. Taking somewhat of a quick deep breath, I rub my hoof on the mirror to wipe away the condensation. As I brush away the moisture, I see a light brown stallion with a slightly darker brown mane. Me. My eyes are the same color, my mane is the same color as my hair was. I'm still wearing my shirt, pants, jacket. But there's nothing left to indicate I ever was a human. I'm now a pony standing in the girl's bathroom at my school.

I let go of the sinik and walk into a stall in the back with my head hung low in thought. This feels too real to be a dream or hallucination. I open the stall and try to lock it behind me with my hooves. I manage to after a few seconds of fumbling. I take a seat on the toilet and try to think. Maybe I should call somepony. Somepony...

I try to pull the phone out of my pants pocket but it's too hard. I take my pants off and slowly work the phone out of my pocket. Maneuvering it on the floor, I try to push the buttons with my hooves but the buttons are too small and my hooves are too big and flat. I try to push one of the numbers with the round edge of my right hoof, to no avail. The bell rings indicating class is over. It's now lunch period. The odds of nopony using the bathroom were not good.

I scramble, trying to put the phone back into my pants when I feel another strange sensation overcome me. A strange numbness fills my entire body. Instantly, everything is back to normal. My hands, feet, legs, everything is the way it was. Even the hair on the back of my neck is gone. I was ecstatic. I ran out of the stall to look at myself in the mirror. I'm human again. The door to the bathroom opens and I turn to see a girl enter.

"Um, what are you doing? This is the girl's room." she stated, her tone somewhere between condescending disgust and irritated disdain. It's just then I realize I'm not wearing pants.

I speak without really thinking. "I'm sorry, it's my first time."

"It's your first time using the bathroom?"

What I'd meant to say and had almost revealed was that it was my first time turning into a pony. I didn't know what else to say.

"No, I mean, um-"

"Are you high?" she asked in contempt.

"No, I was uh, I was just changing in a hurry and must've went in the wrong room by mistake." I ran into the stall and quickly pulled on my pants.

"Really, sorry about this." I say as I push past her and make my way out. I turn the corner and wonder about what just happened, turning into a pony and then turning back. What had caused it? What was going on? I lose myself in thought as I join the sea of students walking through the halls.

I reach the spot where my shoes had fallen off. They're nowhere to be found tough.They must've been knocked over to the side of the wall by people just passing by. Other students rushed past me, past each other, always moving. Barely noticing the things that get trampled underneath their feet. Since it's lunch time and I appear to be human again, I decide to head into the cafeteria. Sam's over at the table we sat at yesterday. He sees me as I come in and walk over to him.

"Are you all right? Where the hell did you go?" he asks as I sit down.

"I wasn't feeling well, I was heading towards the nurse's office." I explain to him. It was true anyway, I just left out the turning-into-a-pony part.

"Here's your shoes by the way." he pulled up my shoes from the seat next to him.

"Thanks Sam, they must've just slipped off my hooves... uh, I mean feet." I say as I grab the shoes. Fortunately, he ignores my pony slip-up. He goes back to eating.

"Hey, you mind if I come over tonight? My parents are out of town and it's just me and Dave at home."

"Uh, sure. We can hang out while your folks are out of town. I'm sure my parents will be all right with it." I tell him.

"Cool, Thanks. You going to tell them you're not feeling well?" he asked.

"Nah, I'm all right now. I just didn't sleep well last night, saw some weird video on the internet."

"Was it about ponies?" he asks without looking up.

"Yeah..." I admit. He just shakes his head at me, eyes down at the sandwich in his hands. Sam had always been somewhat of a mellow guy, level-headed. Nothing seemed to phase him. He was a nice guy and a good friend but I knew he was concerned about me. I just didn't know how concerned. I thought about telling him about what had happened as we ate, then decided not to. I didn't think anyone would understand what happened to me. Maybe I should just forget about it all together? Maybe I'll tell him tonight after getting home. At least for now, it was over.